News24 (website)
English-language South African online news publication
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
News24 is a leading South African English-language digital news platform, established in October 1998 by Naspers as part of the company’s internet strategy under then CEO Koos Bekker.[1][2] Owned by Media24, a subsidiary of Naspers, News24 has grown to become the country’s most trusted news brand[3] and the largest subscription-led news website in Africa.[4] Its editorial team, led by editor-in-chief Adriaan Basson, operates from key cities including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Gqeberha.[1]
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| Trusted News. First. | |
| |
| Type | Continuous digital news |
|---|---|
| Format | Online newspaper |
| Owner | Media24 |
| Founder | Naspers |
| Publisher | Ben Viljoen |
| Editor-in-chief | Adriaan Basson |
| Founded | October 1998 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Cape Town, South Africa |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sister newspapers | "Netwerk24", "Daily Sun" |
| Website | news24 |
History
News24 was launched during the early days of the Internet 1.0 era and quickly became one of South Africa’s most recognised digital media platforms.[5] The platform initially focused on breaking local news while relying on wire services for international coverage.[2]
Arrie Rossouw was appointed as News24’s first publisher. Initially based in Johannesburg, the platform relocated to Cape Town in 2001 to integrate into the newly formed Media24 Digital division under Russell Hanly. This move was part of a broader restructuring of Media24’s digital operations, which also saw the News24 team reduced from 30 to 18 employees, with Douw Steyn as business manager and Cobus Heyl as editor.[6]
In April 2020, News24 launched a revamped mobile and desktop website, introducing a free subscription option that included access to 20 newsletters, personalised traffic alerts, weather forecasts, and bookmarked articles.[7][8] This marked a significant step in adapting to South Africa’s growing mobile-first audience.
Today, News24 has a team of more than 100 journalists based in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Gqeberha.[1]
Digital subscriptions
Editorial approach and initiatives
Audience
According to News24, citing Google Analytics, the site had approximately 6.6 million monthly users in June 2025.[15] Independent IAB South Africa audience data, reported by MyBroadband, placed News24 at the top of South Africa’s online news publications by daily active users and monthly page views in May 2024.[16]
News24’s audience leans slightly male – about 55% men to 45% women – with its biggest age group being 55–64. Its main competitors are IOL, TimesLIVE, Daily Maverick, The Citizen, EWN, BusinessTech, SABC News, The South African, eNCA and Moneyweb.[17]
Content and platforms
News24 publishes across news, business, sport, lifestyle and entertainment.[1] It also serves as a digital hub for several Media24 English-language titles: a 2015 migration moved numerous English newspaper sites into the 24.com network (to News24)[18], and subscription access includes journalism from City Press, YOU, DRUM and True Love. In 2023, WAN-IFRA named News24 “Best News Website” at the Digital Media Awards Africa.[19]
